The Two Salvations

A failure to clearly discern the distinction between -- first: the
sacrifice which Jesus gave for our sins, on account of which we have been
granted repentance and remission of sins, and second, the sacrifice we
have been called to make with Christ as sharers of his sufferings and to
fit us to share his glory, has been the source of much confusion of
thought. In consequence, some preach: It is ALL grace, we can
do nothing; God through Christ does all. These would quote in proof, "By
grace are ye saved through faith and that [grace] not [because of any
merit] of yourselves -- it is the gift of God," -- "not of works,
lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). Others declare: It is
grace truly, but unless you do works in harmony with it,
you never will be saved. It is written, "Present you bodies a living
sacrifice," and "WORK OUT your own salvation." (Rom. 12:1, and
Phil. 2:12).

The party which mixes work and faith gradually comes to regard
faith as if little value, and works as all important, and
detracts from the value of the sacrifice which Jesus gave, while adding to
the importance of the sacrifice of the sinner, or as they term it the
sinner's death to sin as the means or cost of
his own salvation.

The party which depends wholly on faith, generally inclines to
an opposite extreme and ignores the possibility of any fallen being doing
works acceptable to God. In their endeavor to show that Jesus fully and
amply "paid it all," these frequently assert that the penalty of sin was
eternal torture, and that Jesus endured as much
SUFFERING in a few hours in Gethsemane's garden as all mankind would have
suffered in and eternity of torture.

Each of these parties is without argument when confronted with the
Scriptures of the opposite party, and without denying or disapproving the
texts in opposition, each quotes the texts and teaches the view which
seems most approved to itself; while the infidel sneers -- "Your Bible
contradicts itself."

There is a difficulty somewhere -- what is it?

It is this: As we see when examining the doctrines of Election
and Free Grace, both are true, both are supported by Scripture,
and the difficulty has been a failure to note the two ages to
which the two doctrines apply -- an election according to favor during the
Gospel age, and Free and complete favor to all during the Millennial age.
So also the doctrines of Faith and Works -- Belief as a ground of
salvation, and Sacrifice as a ground of salvation. Both are
true: We must merely rightly divide the word of truth and its beauty and
harmony will be manifested. As in the doctrine of Election, the harmony
was seen by observing the two ages, so with this doctrine, the
beauty and force can only be distinguished by recognizing two
salvations.

Does someone hastily say: I cannot believe that; the Scriptures teach
us but one salvation. We reply: How do you know? Have you
searched the Scriptures with that in view, to see? If you had said the
catechism, etc., which teaches that there is but one kind of
salvation, then we should have agreed with you. Perhaps that is what you
meant: at all events we can show clearly that the Bible does teach
two kinds of salvation and two totally different classes of
saved.

First, then: There is a general
salvation common to all the Adamic race. Adam, the
representative of the race, through sin lost the perfection of
manhood with all its privileges; the result being death -- extinction --
not only for himself but for all springing from him and represented by him
-- "and so death passed upon all men." Jesus came to seek and to SAVE
that which was LOST. If his mission was successful it must
result sooner or later in the recovery and restoration of that
which was lost.

Since Adam was not a spiritual but human image of God, he lost not a
spiritual existence, but a human existence. He lost not a heavenly home,
but an earthly paradise. He did not even lose heavenly promises, for none
such were given him. Since we all sustained our loss through Adam, ours
like his must have been a loss of human perfection, human existence, human
likeness to God, an earthly Paradise, etc.; hence Jesus' mission was to
redeem -- save -- recover -- restore "that which was lost." He
commenced the work, by ransoming the race [giving a
"corresponding price"]; and the Apostle assures us that he will
complete the work of saving that which was lost -- "When the times of
refreshing [making new] shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he
shall send Jesus Christ . . . . . whom the heavens must receive [retain]
until the times of RESTITUTION [or restoration] of all things which God
hath spoken, by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began."
(Acts 3:19-21).

Thus seen, the ransom given by Jesus and the results to be
obtained are the exact offset to the sin of Adam and the loss thus
sustained.

This salvation comes to all men just as freely through Jesus
as the loss came unsought through Adam. As now death is upon
all, so in the restitution, life shall pass upon all, and as a result, all
will begin to improve and to come into full perfection of manhood, which
condition when reached may be everlastingly theirs on condition of
everlasting obedience to God. This then is the general salvation
-- "common salvation" in which all shall share, because Jesus Christ by
the grace of God tasted death for every man; because "the man
Christ Jesus" "gave himself a ransom [corresponding price] FOR
ALL, to be testified in due time." This salvation is the saving
of man from sin and death to holiness and life; but in no sense
changes his nature; he will still be man and while of
the earth earthy, when saved or RESTORED, will again be an
earthly image of God, and "very good" -- the lord of earth restored to his
dominion -- recovered from his "fall".

Secondly, glance at the other
salvation; the special one, called in Scripture, "THE salvation,"
"YOUR salvation," "OUR salvation," "SO GREAT salvation," etc. Like the
other, this salvation is also from sin and death, but it includes
a change of nature, so that the life enjoyed when this salvation
is fully accomplished will be not a restoration of human nature, but a
transforming to the "DIVINE nature," no longer earthly beings, but
heavenly or spiritual beings. The Scriptural evidences on which a hope
for this special salvation is based are familiar to our readers, and the
call to this hope is mentioned as a "high calling," a "heavenly calling,"
etc.

"This great salvation" must take place first, before the "common
salvation" shall be accomplished, for those who experience the "great
salvation" are to be God's instrumentalities through whom the "common
salvation" shall be bestowed upon all the world of mankind. They without
us shall not be made perfect. (Heb. 11:40).

These who share in "so great salvation" are but a "little flock" and in
it are not many rich or great or noble according to the course of this
world, for to this salvation God hath chosen the poor of this world rich
in faith, heirs of the kingdom. "God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise, and God has chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base
things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea and
things which are naught, to bring to naught thigns that are." (1 Cor.
1:28).

The Apostle speaks of these two salvations in the same sentence, when
he says, "We trust in the living God who is the SAVIOR OF ALL MEN,
specially of those that believe." (1 Tim. 4:10).

As these two salvations differ, so do the conditions differ.
The only conditions for the common salvation are a recognition of Jesus
who bought us with his own precious blood and an acceptance of the
salvation provided coupled with their best endeavors to abstain from sin.
No works must be here added to the work of the Redeemer to merit
this recovery of that which was lost.

"In our hands no price we bring,
Simply to His cross we cling."

Those who will share in the "great salvation" and be "especially" saved
to heavenly conditions, must first share by faith in the common
salvation. These during the Gospel Age have accepted Jesus and his
atoning sacrifice as the ground and substance of restored rights and
privileges as men, not getting that restoration to perfect manhood
actually, as the world will during the Millennium, but accepting it now
by faith it is to such, a reckoned perfection; an
imputed justification, a reckoned recovery from all
that was LOST to all that human perfection and blessing which Jesus'
ransom [corresponding price] recovered for all. But if such would accept
of the "heavenly" calling," they must do more than thus
believe and accept. They are believers and are already subjects
of this common salvation from death and sin, before they are called to
run for the heavenly prize.

The Apostle forcibly impresses this when he says: "I beseech you
brethren [already believers in Jesus as their Savior, already
reckoned restored or justified through faith, hence called brethren] that
ye present your bodies a living sacrifice unto God."

This proves that sacrificing is not the condition of becoming
brethren, for these were brethren but had not presented
themselves as sacrifices. Thus all who are freed from sin are not only
children of God, but are all brethren whether they are of the human
nature, justified, or like the Apostle, begotten to the divine nature.
The earthly and the heavenly when complete and perfect will be all one
family, as there is one God and Father of all.

Then as though anticipating an objection from these brethren, that they
were unworthy to be sacrifices since all sacrifices must be pure and holy
else they could not be acceptable to God, the Apostle answers this
objection by reminding them of their justification and reckoned purity on
account of Jesus' sacrifice, and assures them that being thus justified
their sacrifices would be "holy" and "acceptable to God" as well
as a "reasonable service" for them.

This "service" of "sacrifice" after having been justified from
sin and death by Jesus' ransom alone, is the condition upon which any
shall be "accounted worthy" of the heavenly prize, the great salvation.
Only upon the condition of sacrificing WITH the Master, sharing
in and filling up that sacrifice for the world, are any promised
a part in that "little flock" which shall share Jesus' resurrection [the
same sort] because they share his sacrifice.

This is the salvation which can only be obtained by sacrifice
-- by "working out YOUR own salvation" and the dissimilarity of
this, from the salvation which no man can work out for himself, but which
was purchased by the precious blood of Jesus, and which must be accepted
by all as the free gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord,
should be apparent to all critical readers. And when this distinction is
recognized all those Scriptures which before seemed contradictory on the
subject of salvation by faith and salvation by works, become beautifully
harmonious and clear.

But, some may inquire: Do you then claim and teach that those who gain
heaven and become members of the little flock and share in divine
nature and honors will gain them by their own works simply? that
they will merit such high honors? Ah no! Do not misunderstand
us thus.

"Grace first contrived the way
To save rebellious man,In every step 'tis still displayed
Throughout God's wondrous plan."

The recovery of man from sin and death was God's favor through
the sacrifices of his Son. Restitution to his "former estate" was not
merited, hence was the manifestation of God's grace or favor.
So, the offering to some of the redeemed race of the infinite "prize" in
exchange for the human rights and privileges which he himself had
just presented to us freely through Jesus, is but a further manifestation
of the grace of God. We do not bay any works or sacrifices merit
an exaltation to the divine nature and glory -- "far above angels
and principalities and powers" as joint heirs with Jesus. And not only
so, but we never could have dreamed of such an offer being made us! It is
simply astounding to us; to many this "EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS
GRACE in his loving kindness toward us IN CHRIST JESUS",
is wholly inconceivable, and unbelieved. But those who believe the offer
and give their little all, [justified -- saved through Christ] in
exchange for a prize so great, can only say:--

"God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform.
* * * *
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up His bright designs,
And works His sovereign will."

This "great salvation" is to be to all eternity the great monument of
God's grace by which all his creatures angelic as well as human, shall
have indubitable proof that God's grace is boundless and his love and
wisdom and power by which he is able to cause all things to work together
for good to those who love and serve him are unfathomable.